Summer Program for Undergraduate Research

Scientific Research Matters

MVNU's Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) exists to allow MVNU students the opportunity to conduct faculty-mentored scientific research. This is important because undergraduate research is a high-impact practice that not only contributes to learning but also student retention, graduation rates, and acceptance into graduate and professional programs.

SPUR requires students to complete 8 weeks of faculty-mentored research, submit a summary report, present a poster during MVNU's Homecoming activities, and present orally during MVNU's spring Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Works (sURC). Some students even present their work at professional conferences in their fields!

Projects include investigations of:

A design of a sensor for assessing human brain motion during concussive events
Freshwater aquatic insects
Factors affecting membrane permeability
Degradation and corrosion processes of zirconia
Automatic generation of reaction networks on metal nanoparticles
Improvements in computer-based identification of obstructed images

Would you be willing to sponsor a student researcher this summer?

Be sure to specify your gift is for "Student Research."

Give now

SPUR 2023 researcher Jerhett Morehouse

If I were to describe my research in a single, specific word, I would choose the word “revealing”. The eight weeks I spent working, determined to understand the various codes and systems I was working on, gave me profound insight into the world of research and into the stunning world of computational chemistry….. my experience in this research was so poignant that my original career choice in medicine holds no interest. In lieu, I have decided to pursue a track in computational/quantum chemistry. This choice is much more tailored to my mind and innate abilities, as well as my overall curiosity.

SPUR 2023 researcher Raegan Gurney

The work that I did over this summer was truly invaluable experience. It gave me real world application of what I have been studying in the classroom, as well as providing me with experience working in a lab. Overall, this experience will help me with my future in both the classroom and the lab setting as well as with future work after college.